Favorite movie scene

So I'm spending the last seven weeks of my summer working on a dude ranch, and every time I ride out on the mountain cliffs, I think of my favorite movie scene ever: When Jim Craig wrangles the brumbies and jumps off the mountain to bring them in. To me, that "Man From Snowy River" scene is just my favorite: slow-motion of the horse and rider going down the hill and through the trees. (I love the soundtrack, too.)

I also love the scene in "That Thing You Do" when the band first hears their song on the radio and gravitate to the appliance store. It's a lot of fun to hear the music get louder as each band member arrives.

What's your favorite movie scene?

 

Baptism scene from The Godfather .. the best 5 1/2 minutes of movie-making ever

 

Airplane. Somebody in the control room says "The shit is going to hit the fan" and a brown bomb hits a fan. Classic.
There's Something About Mary - "We've got a bleeder!"

 

Gary Oldman and Christian Slater in True Romance.

Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper in True Romance.

He must've thought it was white boy day.

 

Alec Baldwin's scene in Glengarry Glen Ross.

Phoebe Cates in Fast Times.

The wedding scene in the Godfather. Can't think of another scene that sets up a movie so perfectly.

Richard Dreyfus and Wolfman Jack in American Graffiti.

The final scene in The Sting where they get Lonegan.

 

The first round of the fight in Rocky, when Apollo is dancing around, hitting Rocky at will, the announcers are talking about how he's putting on a show for the fans because Balboa is so outclassed, then, Rocky manages to connect with one punch, and down goes Apollo. The crowd goes wild, the promoter, who was sitting at ringside with his cigar, suddenly looks shocked, and the bar that Rocky hangs out in goes wild, with the bartender throwing his towel down on bar. Always liked that.

Spaceballs, when Dark Helmet makes the ship go to Ludicrous speed.

The room always gets dusty for me whenever I see the scene from A League of Their Own, when Betty Spaghetti finds out her husband dies with the telegram in the locker room.

The scene in Goodfellas, when Liotta tells Pesci that he's a funny guy.

Many more, that I can't think of right now.

 

Great scene, you're right.

I like the last few minutes too, with Rocky all but dead and climbing back up the ropes near the end of the 14th round.

He got ripped off after that, with the 15th round lasting less than a minute as he's punishing Apollo. And I don't care if it's a cliche, but him screaming for Adrian and Adrian fighting her way to the ring, and then the two of them hugging and declaring their love for each other, is an absolute classic ending.

 

The whole fight is just epic. Love the shot (not sure it qualifies on its own as a scene) when Apollo knocks Rocky down in the 14th. Apollo starts celebrating, happy to finally put Rocky away, then turns around and sees Rocky crawling to his feet. Apollo's mood turns on a dime and he slumps his shoulders, knowing he's now in deep, deep trouble. And, of course, a battered and bloody Rocky yells "C'mon!"
One small moment that really summed up the whole story of the movie. They repeated it in Rocky IV with Drago, but it was nowhere near as chill-inducing.

 

There are two from the Shawshank Redemption:

Red working in the cemetery after Andy has escaped: "Sometimes it makes me sad, though... Andy being gone. I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up DOES rejoice. But still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they're gone. I guess I just miss my friend."

Red, at the very end of the movie, as he is on the bus heading for Mexico: " I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope."

 

Totally agree with those. It may not be cinematic brilliance, but any guy roughly our age will remember the Phoebe Cates scene vividly.

One of my favorites is the interview with Bernstein in "Citizen Kane":

A fellow will remember a lot of things you wouldn't think he'd remember. You take me. One day, back in 1896, I was crossing over to Jersey on the ferry, and as we pulled out, there was another ferry pulling in, and on it there was a girl waiting to get off. A white dress she had on. She was carrying a white parasol. I only saw her for one second. She didn't see me at all, but I'll bet a month hasn't gone by since that I haven't thought of that girl.

Also, the scene in "Gymkata" when Kurt Thomas is being chased through the village of the crazies, but finds a stone pommel horse in the town square and kills them all by kicking them while doing the Thomas Flare.

 

--The Glengarry Glen Ross one with Baldwin
--Bill Murray's speech right before the troops were to be on display in Stripes.
--The "are you trying to seduce me?" scene from The Graduate.
--The big chase scene in What's Up Doc
--The scene when Meryl Streep leaves Clint Eastwood crying in the rain in The Bridges of Madison County[/byemancard]

I'm sure I could think of tons more.